Elmer T. Lee SB, Jeffersons PR SB, Blanton's, Rock Hill Farms?

[squire]

Which is the best use for that bottle.

[SFS]

Agreed................................

[Richnimrod]

Anybody else find Blanton's a bit "oily" as to mouthfeel??? Maybe it's just me. Anyway I didn't care much for that aspect of a pretty high-priced bourbon; I found that to be "off-putting". Most times I like ETL very well, and find it to be big, bold, well-done and a good value; although the last bottle I picked up seemed a little green and grassy, and had a slight sour apple under-taste. That is a disappointment I've not encountered before with ETL.

[black mamba]

ETL does change a bit from bottle to bottle, as should be expected from a single barrel. But when it's good, it's real good and underpriced.

[suntour]

The local liquor store had a pick of three barrels, one was said to have that kind of that oil-rag/rope/box flavor I've gotten in some BT products, and the other two were sublime. Obviously I've only tasted the one they said they thought best but man is it good. It actually is interesting to taste blind/side-by-side with Blanton's. Sometimes I think it has a nicer sweetness where I might find a twinge of nutrisweet in Blanton's occasionally. I also want to taste these side-by-side with AAA10yr, which I hopefully have a line on.

They also had multiples cases of hand-picked ER that I missed out on, figuring it'd be there for awhile. Nope. Gone in like a week.

[Special Reserve]

Anybody else find Blanton's a bit "oily" as to mouthfeel??? Maybe it's just me. Anyway I didn't care much for that aspect of a pretty high-priced bourbon; I found that to be "off-putting". Most times I like ETL very well, and find it to be big, bold, well-done and a good value; although the last bottle I picked up seemed a little green and grassy, and had a slight sour apple under-taste. That is a disappointment I've not encountered before with ETL.

I haven't had a Blanton's lately, but I usually like the oily mouth feel.

Will

[michang5]

Interesting thread. My favorite after 2-1/2 months of buying and trying as many bourbons as humanly possible is Rock Hill Farms. I've got less than a half bottle left.

I saw a bottle of Elmer T. Lee earlier this week at a store across town. It's the first bottle I've come across. I was debating whether to drive back today and pick it up. It might help stretch that bottle of RHF out a little longer...

[WhiskeyExperimen]

Interesting thread. My favorite after 2-1/2 months of buying and trying as many bourbons as humanly possible is Rock Hill Farms. I've got less than a half bottle left.

I saw a bottle of Elmer T. Lee earlier this week at a store across town. It's the first bottle I've come across. I was debating whether to drive back today and pick it up. It might help stretch that bottle of RHF out a little longer...

Definitely worth going back and buying. ETL tastes noticeably younger than RHF or Blanton's. In particular, I get a lot of grilled fruit flavors from ETL. I mostly prefer it over the older, more expensive expressions. The main downside for me is the oak finish - it's more pronounced and lingers longer than in the other expressions. I'm guessing that's why they don't let it age longer. If they did, the oak would be overpowering.

[black mamba]

Suntour, I think you need a pretty decent palate to taste even side-by-side and find much difference in ETL and AAA10yr. The flavor profiles are almost exactly the same, with the ETL having that extra something that is hard to put words to. I would not be surprised at all to find out that AAA10 yr is just the barrels NOT picked for ETL, mingled and bottled at the same age. They are that close.

[michang5]

So I stopped and picked up a bottle of ETL ($32 plus tax). Drank a bit in the afternoon and just went back for an evening pour. Good stuff and I can see why people like it.

Out of curiosity, I had a half pour of RHF afterward to see if I could tell the difference. I definitely could.

I want to do a blind side-by-side with more detailed notes, but I can sum up the major difference in this way:

- ETL is a very nice taste experience on the front 1/3rd, but it just drops off the chart in the middle 1/3rd, before ending with a nice warm finish. It's as if you're driving along nicely and suddenly your car disappears. There seems to be nothing there, and then it reappears a mile down the road. Very odd, but I noticed this on each sip and pour.

- RHF is similar in the early ride, but the drive continues down the windy, scenic route -- all the way down the mountain side. The nice finish is there, as well. There is a clear build-up, then middle leg, followed by a denouement. A fantastic progression.

I do want to note that my bottle of RHF was on sale for about $38 + tax. Normally it's in the $45 range. While I like the ETL, I think I would buy RHF at $7-15 more.